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The post-Napoleonic era saw a surge in colonial loot as France scrambled to conquer Africa. Now, the nation’s new bill hopes to speed up the process of returning these objects to their places of origin.
Centuries after the colonial era’s looting practices, the legacies of the stolen artefacts continue to affect former colonies. Many of these loots remain within the confines of Western museums and private collections, far from their places of origin.
France, one of the biggest influencers during the colonial era, is now coming forth with a new bill to amend their past mistakes in Africa. While it was initially introduced in 2017, the bill saw multiple drawbacks, all tied to its lengthy process. Each restitution was required to be individually approved by parliament, causing significant delays in the return of artefacts. As a result, in the past 8 years, only a few out of the tens of thousands have been returned.
The new proposal sees this process being cut down, bypassing the need for a parliamentary vote for each object, provided it meets 4 conditions. First off, the request for the return of an item must be submitted by a competent authority of a foreign sovereign state. This state must also demonstrate its clear intention for the returned object to be preserved and publicly exhibited within its country.
Evidence is also required to prove that the object was acquired involuntarily or through unauthorised means, such as theft, looting, or coercion. Then, each request is subject to review by a scientific commission composed of experts from both France and the requesting nation. Should the commission support the restitution, the claim will be submitted to the Conseil d’État, France’s highest administrative court, for final approval.
Most importantly, the objects that will be considered for restitution must have been looted from Africa between the years of 1815 to 1972. The bill is to be debated and await approval by the French Senate in September.
Colonial looting began way before, so why have these periods been selected?
1815 marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars, wherein international attitudes towards the legitimacy of looted art and cultural properties saw a turning point. After Napoleon’s defeat, there were major efforts to return the looted artworks to their rightful owners, kickstarting discussions on cultural property rights.
It was during this time that the ‘Scramble for Africa’ began with European powers. As its name suggests, these empires were rapidly invading, colonising, and dividing Africa due to its rich resources and geopolitical advantages. By the early 20th century, France saw itself controlling large colonial federations and protectorates. This included extensive plundering of royal treasures, religious objects, artworks, and cultural items from French territories.
